Toyota Prius MPG-Real World Numbers

Comments

re: "Don't let anyone tell you differently, the Prius's ratings are as overstated as any other hybrid cars."

I won't tell you then that on my 2007 Prius (not touring like yours) over 109,000 miles the overall MPG = 63.5 US gal. I appreciate we all have different driving profiles and conditions that impact our personal MPG, but could not resist your generalization of don't let anyone tell you. So I won't tell - SHHHH. I know many other people with life-time MPG > 60 with pictures to prove it.

I have had 2 Prius'. A 2010 Prius 3 that my wife ran 71k miles in 3 years. We averaged 50 t0 52 MPG combined for those 3 years. We traded it in on a 2013 Prius 4 and so far it is averaging 52 MPG combined consistantly. Both cars exceeded the window sticker projected mileage estimate. :shades:

With my '06 Prius I average in the upper 40s, plus or minus 5mpg depending on the season. It's hard to imagane that anyone could AVERAGE 63 mpg. I was on vacation in Florida once where I was driving about 50 mph on flat roads, good weather and even then the best I'd get is in the upper 50s mpg, so I suppose if someone was driving 100% of the time like that then maybe.

I'd say in general, a hybrid is good for warm weather area at moderate speeds. if you live in colder areas and/or do mostly highway driving at 75+MPH, then get a diesel.

I have driven my car for almost 7000 miles now. If you recall, I live at about 1000' and it is a 5 mile easy climb up the hill. I have not re-initialized Trip B for about 6000 miles. It tells me I am getting about 52.6 on that "trip". Just yesterday, I filled up and calculated my miles. For the trip, which was almost 500 miles, my hand calculated mpg was 50.7. The trip computer told me I got 52.8 mpg. So it appears it is about 2mpg high. The worst hand calculation I have even got is 49.5. Based on all this, I estimate I am getting about 50.5mpg overall. I am extremely happy with this. The car is very quiet and comfortable. There have been 0 problems with it.

I have a 2005 prius w/ 99000 miles. I live on the coast of n.c. my driving habits are mostly around town. 20 miles trips at 63mph. the car has been req. serviced. my gas mileage is 38to 40 mpg. I too cannot image someone posting 63 mpg.

Wow! lots of people say they are getting like 50mpg plus? But i just got a 2013 Prius and right now i get about 40-43 at best..So what is "Normal Driving" normal to me would be how ever i drive my other cars i drive the Prius the same..acceleration should when needed and drive at posted speed limits which is 25-45 street, 55-65 freeway... I mean if you have to like watch the energy monitor when your driving to see if your driving more efficiently, then that is not normal driving.... I mean My friends has a Prius too...and he drives his car like a 60 year old man (he's 35) he constantly looks at the energy monitor...when he accelerate its so slow he leave like 5 car length in front of him...this is just crazy and unsafe...i have been in his car with him and people are pasting him up and cussing at him for accelerating too slow .I mean don't get me wrong, i want to save money by increasing my MPG but, not like this...O yeah he gets about 50-55mpg driving like this.....

I just bought the Prius III, I have 1300 miles on it in just 2 weeks. Mostly highway miles. I have been using 100 % gas. Mostly. With 10% ethanol it got 44 mpg on highway at 75 mph. Then with 100% gas I have been getting 50 on the highway at 65 mph. In town 50, 52. Hope to get better once it gets broken in. Tires are now at 36 psi.

If you drive a Gen II Prius normally, you'll get in the mid to upper 40s MPG average. A Gen III will average about 50. Now folks who drive in warm climates on flat surfaces (ie Florida) will get a lot better, especially if they're doing mostly 35-50mph driving. Cold climates will make it drop too, as will constant 75mph highway driving.

That being said, if you owned a Camry, Accord, or F150 pickup truck, you'd also get better MPG on flat ground in warm climates at low to moderate speeds.

There will be extremes at either end, but I don't want to keep my eyes glued to the energy monitor, nor accelerate like a snail after every stop.

I just bought a used 2011 Prius and have filled it up twice thus far. The first fill-up netted 54.8 mpg and the second was 55.4. (These are hand calculated, the display values were 1 to 2 mpg higher.)

As for driving habits, I think I am driving about the same as I would a non-hybrid car, but with the displays, that is not always true. It is hard not to try and see if I can get the mpg display higher. In general, I keep in in ECO mode except when accelerating, then I shift to Power mode so get going quickly.

The one item that I have noticed affect my mpg is the number of people / weight in the car. This was to be my daily commute car, so on my daily commute of 100 miles, I can get a displayed value of above 60 mpg. However, after seeing the gas mileage, we started taking in on most weekend outings. For these, we generally have 4 people in the car. My mileage drops a bit then, such that my average mpg falls back to around 57 display or 55 actual.

I've had the opportunity to log about 3,500 miles so far. My trips have been on everything from 300 miles highway over hilly terrain, rural and urban jaunts. all A/C all the time.

Pedal down and trying to make time on an extremely hilly section of 300 plus miles of interstate, 75 all the way, cruise control and the heck with the gas mileage. 39 mpg average. Car was loaded down 2 people. A/C on the entire way.

On a very long route 2 jaunt, 50-60 mph plus some around town, 47 mpg. 3 adults.

My average in everyday driving mix of all kinds I get 42/43. Not really that difficult.

I assume the winter mileage will be less. But the point is, this Prius V is rated for 40 highway 44 city. Not hard to get that if you don't go crazy. The EPA sticker is pretty much spot on.

I'm trying to understand the differences in MPG. I own a 2010 prius and drive it like an old lady. I coast where I can and only get max 47 mpg. Is there a difference in the gasolene mix? I live in Michigan where we use the heater more. Does that make the difference? Would that account for 2-4 mpg? The 47 is what the prius is telling me. Actually it's more like 45 I would guess.

I think your 47 mpg (really 45) is spot-on. I dont think running the heater or the air makes much of a difference, but in my experience in Atlanta I dont run the heat full blast for very long or very often, so perhaps I am speaking out of ignorance.

I purchased my used 2010 Prius almost two years ago with 45,000 miles on it for $15,400, and I now have 90,000 miles on the thing and I simply love it. This from a guy who likes to drive fast and has owned fast cars in the past. The Pri-Pri has been flawless and drama-free, and it saves me $140 a month in gasoline costs versus an ordinary car that would obtain half the MPG. From day one my Prius has averaged about 47 in real world driving (display says 49 but my display cheats by about 5%, which I think is typical--isn't it just shocking that Toyota programmed the car to slightly OVERestimate your MPG??). When I am very careful and have the extra time in my commute, I drive like a Granny and hypermile it, and when doing so I can achieve 50 to 51 mpg over a tank or two, but that means being veeeeery sloooow to accelerate, pulse and glide technique when I need to hit the gas, running on battery mode when I can, and generally driving like I was half-dead and pissing off every driver around me.

In the winter months the mpg will indeed go down about 5 percent. I live in Atlanta, and the single most important factor that I have found to do to achieve the optimal mpg is to hyperinflate the tires. In the winter you really have to stay on top of the tire inflation in order to avoid undue drag from all that rubber on the pavement. Of course, this will give you a harsher ride, and it can have serious effects on your traction so I'd be very careful in Michigan; down here in the ATL, snow and ice are hardly ever in the equation.

My Prius is flawless. All it does is start and run every day. The AC is cold and the heat is hot. The wheel base is long and wide enough that the car rides well and feels firmly planted to the pavement in a rainstorm, unlike my daughter's Yaris. And beyond all that, I can shove a large Hungarian family of 19 into the hatch with the rear seat folded down. I am amazed at the various crap that I can haul from Point A to Point B when I need to do so.

One last thing--change the oil regularly. I notice when my oil needs to be changed, the MPG drops by a few digits.

If you're using the heater on the 2010 Prius, you are turning on the a/c, which will cause the vehicle to consume more gas. If a few miles is an issue with you, I suggest a sweater and an overcoat. I loved my Prius!

Prius owners. I'm not new to edmunds, but I'm new to the prius group. I just finished reading every entry in the real world mpg section here, thank you for those posts. My question ? I'm on vacation right now in Cancun, but when I return on the 23 rd I'm going to buy a car. I've been looking at both the Prius and the Prius V. Three important factors will lead to my final decision. 1. Which car is quieter. 2. Is the 2010 or newer Prius quieter than the older versions. 3 . What is the MPG difference in the V verses the Prius. Any info would be appreciatedCaazguy

After owning a 2005 Toyota Prius, I traded it in for a 2013 Toyota Prius three this summer. Do NOT buy a Prius V. Gas mileage is much less...and crash tested very poorly this year. My Prius three gets 50 to 54 in town and 51 on the road. Beats the 2005 to pieces! Can't say enough great things about the Prius three. The only difference in the Prius Four is accessories. Go online to your closest Toyota dealership and go through the inventory and pick out what you want before you get there. I just walked in with the serial # and drove off with the vehicle I chose online. Good luck! There is nothing like owning a Prius!

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My 2012 Prius III now has 30k miles on it. Aside from from the regular oil, filter, and tire rotations, I averaged 48 mpg through the winter months. With the weather warming up on the east coast now mpg is increasing to the 50 mpg mark.

@crazedcommuter said:
My 2012 Prius III now has 30k miles on it. Aside from from the regular oil, filter, and tire rotations, I averaged 48 mpg through the winter months. With the weather warming up on the east coast now mpg is increasing to the 50 mpg mark.

It IS nice to hear those words...warming up on the east coast. I LIKE the winter, but it'sTIME

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we just finished 3 separate round trips from santa monica, ca to durango, co; park city, ut; lake tahoe, ca. average MPG was 42. between the fatigue from battery and electrical radiation and the low MPG we are very disappointed in this vehicle.

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I own a 2008 Prius and I drive it primarily on city streets (stop/go traffic, averaging 20 mph), and the Consumption screen is showing 51.3 mpg. I haven't reset the consumption reading for over a year. Judging by the other commenters, the on-board computer is overestimating by 1 to 2 mpg, so the average consumption is probably closer to 49 - 50 mpg. I drive in Los Angeles, so the climate is mild and consistent, with an occasional use of the A/C and almost no use of the heater.